Nurses Unite For Contract At Washington Hospital Center

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Chanting "Nurses united will never be defeated," nearly 2,000 registered nurses and their supporters massed in front of the Washington Hospital Center last night in an impressive show of strength and solidarity. The ranks of the members of Nurses United of the National Capital Area -- the union that represents 1,600 registered nurses at WHC and is currently in contract negotiations -- were augmented by 1,000 RNs from across  the nation who yesterday began a two-day Nurses' Week action in Washington to press the case for moving beyond insurance reform to improving the quality of care in U.S. hospitals and other healthcare settings. "The issues at stake at this hospital are common across the country," John Horvat, a cardiology nurse at a VA hospital in Cincinnatti told Union City as a virtual wall of picketers chanted and waved signs and rush-hour traffic on Irving Street honked their support. "The main issue is staffing," said Sue Cole (below, at center), an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse at Washington Hospital Center for 26 years. "Anyone who's been a patient or had a loved one in the hospital knows that all we're trying to do is provide the best care possible for our patients." The nurses who work at Washington Hospital Center are proud of the hospital's sterling local role as a Level One facility where "Other hospitals send their toughest cases to us because we have the training and equipment to handle them," said Cole. "This hospital was built on our backs. We're proud of our quality and we want to keep it that way." The union agreed to extend the current contract -- which was due to expire at midnight Monday night -- through May 25 as negotiations continue. Today, the visiting NNU RNs will conclude their conference with a 10a march from Union Station, and 11a rally at Upper Senate Park, followed by legislative visits on Capitol Hill. - report by Chris Garlock; photos by Adam Wright